English as an International Language

Chair, Admissions Committee
3080 Foreign Languages Building
707 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801 USA
(217) 333-1506
E-mail: deil@uiuc.edu

Graduate Degree Program

The Division of English as an International Language offers a program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (MATESL).

Admission

MATESL program applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree. An undergraduate major in linguistics, English, a foreign language, or education is generally recommended, though other majors are also acceptable. Applicants must present a grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Two years of coursework in a foreign language or the equivalent are also required. At a minimum, all non-native speakers of English entering the MATESL program must also have a score of 600 or higher on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and at least a 4.0 on the Test of Written English (TWE); these scores are required of students beginning their graduate work with the division as well as those transferring to the division from elsewhere. Also, at the beginning of their first semester on campus, all non-native speakers of English entering the program are required to take the University’s English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT). The results achieved on the latter test will determine whether the student will have to take one or more English language courses in addition to the other course requirements in order to receive the MATESL degree.

Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language

The program leading to this degree requires candidates to complete a minimum of 40 graduate hours of coursework and either a written comprehensive examination or a thesis. Usually candidates can meet all degree requirements in two years.
The MATESL program offers two separate curricula or tracks. One track is designed for candidates whose principal interests are in language pedagogy and related research. The other track encourages candidates to concentrate more heavily on applied research in various aspects of English studies, such as those listed below under faculty specializations. A detailed description of the two tracks is available upon request.

The Division of English as an International Language does not offer a doctor of philosophy degree. Instead, work at the doctoral level with a specialization in applied linguistics or other ESL-related areas of interest can be carried out through a number of other departments on campus, including, among others, the Department of Linguistics, Educational Psychology, and Curriculum & Instruction. Students enrolled in doctoral programs on campus can also work toward an interdisciplinary certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE) in conjunction with their doctoral degrees. Members of the graduate faculty of the Division of English as an International Language are available to serve on doctoral committees. Faculty specializations include conversation analysis, language and social interaction, language testing, contrastive discourse, lexicography of English, language processing, reading, literacy, computers in second language acquisition and learning, methodology of language teaching, curriculum design, and English in the world context. Applicants interested in SLATE should either contact the SLATE virtual office at UIUC.SLATE@gmail.com or call (217) 265-6308 to speak with the Program Director, Dr. Rakesh Bhatt.

Financial Aid

Financial assistance is offered to as many qualified applicants as possible, but cannot be promised to all. A record of extensive experience in teaching English as a second language enhances a candidate's chance of receiving financial assistance during one's first semester. A limited number of University fellowships are available for exceptionally qualified candidates. Teaching assistants teach students in the Division's ESL program and in the Intensive English Institute. Assistantships and fellowships carry a UIUC tuition and partial fee waiver.